Do the Right Thing/Recap

Contents

Elizabeth searches for Carter, whose room is locked and bursting with music. Taylor overhears, and Elizabeth goes through Taylor's room, with Taylor following, into their shared bathroom, and into Carter's room. Carter, however, has gone through her door and out the front door.

Elizabeth talks with Carter at a diner. David calls, and Carter stops her from telling him what happened, causing Elizabeth to want to know what happened. Carter explains that David took her to meet Lori and waited with her for almost three hours, though he knew all along that Lori was never going to show up. Elizabeth tries to defend him by saying he isn't cruel, but Carter questions this, saying that what he did was cruel. She regrets letting him write "Finding Carter", which Elizabeth is just finding out about. Elizabeth places her hands out, palms up, and Carter places her hands in them. Elizabeth tells Carter she'll get an explanation. She convinces Carter to go home.

At school, Carter talks with Gabe about Kyle, who is a mess. Ofe joins them with a black eye he got from a client who liked placing big bets on long shots, and now Ofe owes him, but Ofe takes Barmitzvah savings funds and is really low on cash. Carter and Gabe think he should go to the police. Ofe calls Bird away from talking with Ramon, whom Gabe describes as "the flavor of the week". Ofe asks Bird, his "bank", for money, but she says it's a really bad time for her right now, because her parents are in town for the first time in eight months. They're happy to see Bird, but not her credit card bills.

Taylor approaches the group and asks Ofe what happened, and he compliments her looks, which results in a bashful Taylor. Taylor asks Carter for the car keys, and Carter and the group are shocked that Taylor is skipping class.

Carter and Taylor talk together on the way out to the car; Carter gives Taylor a pep talk to prepare her in losing her virginity, which Taylor didn't expect to be obvious.

David returns home from seeing his editor about "Finding Carter" and finds Elizabeth making cookies for Grant's school in the kitchen. Elizabeth confronts David about taking Carter to see Lori. David leaves to find Carter; Elizabeth glances down at his bag.

David finds Carter at her locker at school after the bell rings and offers to write her a note. Elizabeth throws down the dishtowel and walks over to the opposite side of the island, to David's bag. David apologizes to Carter, promising to give her the truth. Elizabeth opens his bag and finds "Finding Carter". Carter explains that she was going to tell him she changed her mind and he couldn't write it anymore, but then she relents and lets him write it. She asks to hold off on writing it, though, and David agrees and says they'll start when she's ready. Elizabeth goes through the book.

Taylor and Max make out in his apartment; they turn off the light, and Taylor asks to turn on the lamp. The lamp in his room, however, doesn't work; Max leaves to buy Taylor a lamp.

David arrives home to an empty house. He picks up his bag and realizes it's empty, then punches the cookies Elizabeth made for Grant.

At the sanctuary, Ofe tells Crash he doesn't know what he's going to do, whilst Carter watches from afar. Crash asks for the name of the person who hurt Ofe, and Carter gets upset and asks Crash if he beats people up.

Max and Taylor resume making out, with the new lamp on; however, Max is nervous to be Taylor's first. They decide to do it another time; Taylor leaves.

Bird gives Ofe one of her mom's diamond necklaces from her jewelry closet to pawn off. Crash offers to pawn the necklace for Ofe, which makes Carter worry about Crash.

Grant walks into an empty house and sees the damaged cookies; he throws them away.

Carter walks into Taylor's room and asks her how it went; Taylor thinks Max doesn't want to have sex with her, but Carter explains that it will happen. She also tells Taylor she's only two "reallys" away from love.

Elizabeth arrives home with the book in tow; she walks into David's office and drops it onto his desk, wishes him luck trying to talk his way out of this one, and walks away.

After fighting all night in the kitchen, Elizabeth decides she's done. David says he'll talk to Carter, but Elizabeth says they'll talk to Carter together. Elizabeth awakes Carter, who has had an extra hour to sleep in and won't be going to school that day. In the kitchen, Carter looks over the book and confronts David. Elizabeth says she only read it just yesterday. David tries to convince Carter he didn't mean to hurt her and that he wouldn't have published it without her permission, but she doesn't believe him.

Bird reads David's draft of "Finding Carter" in the sanctuary with Ofe and Carter. Bird and Carter talk about the book; Ofe interrupts them and says that the guy owes him money now. Carter calls Crash, but his phone is going straight to voicemail. Bird's mom interrupts them by calling her into the house over a PA system.

Taylor dances in her room in a pink robe with a face mask on, looking at a picture of her and Max. Max knocks on the door and enters her room, and she covers her face and apologizes for him having to see her like that. He apologizes about yesterday; they make out. Max tells Taylor he really, really, really, really, really likes her, and she notes that there's only one more to go.

Carter can't get a hold of Crash. Bird's mom calls Carter into the house. Bird's mom confronts Carter, whom she thinks stole her necklace, though Carter says she doesn't have it. Bird's mom notes the bracelet Bird gave to Carter[1], which is hers also. Bird says she didn't give it to her. Kyle apologizes to Carter and arrests her.

At Grant's bake sale, Elizabeth asks Grant where the cookies she made are, and he tells he they sold out quickly, because people loved them. A woman approaches Elizabeth about her phone being on and ringing, then notes that Carter's in jail.

David confronts Kyle at Fairfax Police Department and tells him Carter wouldn't steal such an expensive thing, because she buys leather bracelets at flea markets. Kyle tells him that he needs a good criminal lawyer, because Carter had on an expensive bracelet at the time of her arrest. Elizabeth arrives and asks to see Carter; David wants to see Carter, too, but Elizabeth doesn't want her to think he's just gathering more material for another chapter in his book. Elizabeth tells him she doesn't trust him with Carter, but she does trust Carter. David thinks that Carter did steal the jewelry and was planning to run away with Lori, or that Crash has influenced her, but Elizabeth knows that this isn't like Carter and that she wouldn't do this.

David tells Elizabeth to talk to Kyle, who relays to her the details of the situation; Bird is ready to testify against Carter.

In the sanctuary, Ofe yells at Bird and tells her to admit to her parents that she lied, but Bird says she can't, because her parents are barely in her life already, and she doesn't want to lose them. She says they're disappointed they can't just ship her off to rehab like their friends do with their kids. Ofe tells Bird that Carter is probably looking at prison time for this, just as Crash arrives. Bird asks Crash to give her back the necklace he was told to pawn, but it's too late, as Crash has money for the necklace. Though it was worth 100 grand, he got 20 grand for it.

Bird tells Crash that she'll get her mom to drop the charges against Carter if he'll get back the necklace, but he switches that and says he'll get the necklace back if she gets her mom to first drop the charges; Bird tells him it's not the time to start developing morals; Ofe retorts and asks her what happened to hers.

Kyle lets Elizabeth into Carter's cell. Carter and Elizabeth talk about what happened.

Elizabeth and David walk upstairs to tell Taylor about Carter. Elizabeth knocks on Taylor's door before opening it, then quickly shuts it and tells him they'll talk to her later.

Later, Max walks downstairs and apologizes to Elizabeth. He tells Taylor, "Six 'reallys'." Elizabeth comments on how close they are, and Grant asks about Carter. Taylor convinces Elizabeth to go talk to Bird, but Elizabeth says Carter knows what happened to it, so it makes her an accessory. Bird and her mother arrive at the Wilsons with a police officer. Bird apologizes; Elizabeth leaves to pick up Carter.

Kyle talks to the receptionist at the station; Elizabeth arrives and finds out that Carter is gone. Kyle tells her Crash bailed Carter out, and that the clerk let him, even though she's a minor. Elizabeth gets mad and blames Kyle, even though it was neither his fault nor something he had control over.